Shopping center looks to expand, but too close to road
U.S. Cellular to move in if setbacks OK'd
U.S. Cellular will open a new store at the Brookfield Fashion Center if the city allows a new building to be about 20 feet closer to Bluemound Road than zoning permits.
The new building is part of a long-approved plan for the shopping center, which houses about two dozen tenants in three buildings on the 20-acre site. However, lease restrictions and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's land acquisitions through the years create a scenario in which the building would need to be closer to the roadway than zoning allows.
The plan calls for the 4,500-square-foot building to be 79 feet from Bluemound Road, near its intersection with Thomas Lane; zoning regulations stipulate a 100-foot setback. City planning staff has recommended the creation of a Modified Suburban Overlay District, which would allow the smaller setbacks.
Director of Community Development Dan Ertl said smaller setbacks have been allowed elsewhere on Bluemound Road, such as at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, which is about 25 feet off the road.
A public hearing must be held on the establishment of the new district before the Plan Commission and Common Council can vote on it. A date has not been set, but, Ertl said, the hearing could take place in January.
Project representatives will revise architectural and landscape plans to address some concerns about the center, and show them at the public hearing.
Plan Commissioner Jennifer Donze said she would like to see more trees and shrubs in the shopping center's parking lot and along Bluemound Road and Thomas Lane, adding that a parking analysis showed the site could sacrifice some parking spots to accommodate more green space.
Mayor Jeff Speaker and other commissioners said they want to see more architectural interest in the new building, especially on the side facing Thomas Lane.
The U.S. Cellular store would employ six to eight people, and its general hours of operation would be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to a letter from managing agent Urban Retail Properties.
NEXT STEP
WHAT: Common Council to set public hearing date for new Brookfield Fashion Center retail building
WHEN: 7:45 p.m. Nov. 17
WHERE: City Hall, 2000 N. Calhoun Road
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